The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-06-03
NUMBER -.
DOWN THE FLORIDA SOUTHERN.
ocaIs seen from the Right side Other
Stations 10 Ieesburg.


ocaIa seen from ia. Right sid. Other
Stations to Leesburg.
Correspondence, ot the Pala INA Noo.
LEEsBURG, June l.
AT Ocala the train from Palatka backs
out upon a siding, and waits for the train
from Brooksville and the south. Here
the newsboys and express messengers
swap parcels back and forth with each
other and both trains seem 20 take
breath for fresh start.
The first view OF Ocala Is a striking
one 10 a Northerner. A tall, gaunt ne
gress STOPPING over boiling kettle and
stirring the contents industriously re-
minds the writer very strongly of Mae
beth's witches and their boiling caul-
drons. This aged wench probably was
doing nothing beyond scalding out "A
kettle full of soiled linen, but taken in
connection with her surroundings, stand
ing under n moss draped, storm twist
ed black jack, she looked capable Of
cooking "Macbeth's hell-broth" to per-
fection.
The stranger should approach ooala
from the south in order To obtain the
most favorable impression of the town.
From the north big saw mill looms up
beside the tracks. then score of miser-
able squalid negro huts before the nice
portion of the town is reached.
The fine places in ocala need time
spent among them, even 10 enumerate
them, and the train, quickly passing
south, among fine orange groves OF
large thrifty trees, the passenger Is
obliged To look both sides OF the car, at
once, in order 10 catch glimpse of even
half Of the beautiful views by the way
side.
wELsHToY.
The train stops Is or 30 minutes at
| Welshton, where there Is "a fine dining
room, and the average passenger gets
out his lunch basket, while the green
traveller and the hardened old sinners,
consisting of the train hands, the com
mercial passengers and few real es-
tate men, rush into the dining room
onto the lunch counter to wrestle with
the railroad sandwich. or to drink hot
coffee against time. Scattered around
the station is the nucleus of fine town.
There is "A large hotel, "A store or two,
| livery stable, quite "A number of cottages
and, away down the track, is charm
ing view of neat gothic school house
seen in relief against the forest.
SOUTH LAKE WEIR.
At South Lake Weir the train stopped
| for the engine 10 take a drink, and big
one at that, and while the tender was
absorbing several hogsheads of water
from big tank, the passengers got down
and walked along the beach, where the
waves were dashing up In decidedly salt
water manner. Two or three feet high
the waves came dashing up against the
railroad track: each wave with crest
of white foam, while all up the lake the
white caps were cleaning and sparkling
in the bright MONDAY sun. All along
the railroad defense OF logs and old ties
has been established, the latter well
loaded down with tons of limestone rock
90 prevent them from being torn away
by Ihe waves. a..
| uuNAri.
| The town Of Conant is next reached.
| This place SENS most desirable place
for residence, and il has IA fine hotel.
which ought to be painted In colors 30
show half lis attractiveness.
Lady of the Lake is the next town. IL
has a nice hotel, well laid out streets,
which are thickly built up. AT this
place. two very nice young ladies got
aboard, 10 the intense delight Of the gem
tlemanly conductor, the newsboy, and
several OF the passengers.
| Here, also. a horse and mule ran a
race with the train, which easily beat
them both evidently, much TO the dis
gust Of the mule, which stopped, braced
out his feet i'm four different directions
and treated the engine TO song very
impressive, but very unmelodious.
cHETwYND.
Chetwynd is spick and span, brand
new town, consisting of a fine new sta
ton, and equally new and fine cottage
houses. to the number of twelve or fif-
teen are in process Of construction while
three or four stores and as many dwell
ings are already completed. Somebody
is spending lots of money here and they
will create pretty town. This place
should be approached from the south TO
get a good view OF the town, Tor
the railroad approaches from the north
through "A very deep cut made necessary
by the high bluff on which the town
stands, and not until right at the station
does the town burst into view in all III
neatness.
Fruitland Park is the next stopping
place and il exhibits all the Characters
tics of Florida town. Passing this sta
tion, the train soon pulls up at the
"know-nothing" station, at Leesburg
Here a switch is thrown and the train
steams up TO the station, stops for sup
ply Of fine ice from the Leesburg Ice
Factory, the conductor pacifies an ex
cited woman with five small children
who wants TO connect south at Pember
tons Ferry, before the train gets there
and your correspondent closes his letter
TO enjoy fine large watermelon which
he has purchased from an intensel,
black darlSy with the most open coun
tenance imaginable.
JAMES +. HOBART,
of Interlachen, Fla.
BASE BALL.
, INnIANAPoLIs June 2.-Nine innings